Injury update, Jan. 31

The inside of my left ankle was bothering me yesterday during my run on the treadmill. I tried to vary my gait a little in the way I put my foot down, and it went away. Later on, it came back. When I was stretching, I thought it went away. Later when we went to get lunch and go shopping, it came back.

Consequently, today I am wearing my hard ankle brace. A couple years ago, I sprained this same ankle while running with Bella and twisting it on some uneven grass. I went to Dr. Peebles, a foot and ankle sports injury specialist in Atlanta who gave me a hard brace. I eventually moved to a soft brace and ran with that for at least a year afterward. I have recently given up the brace as my workout gear has seemingly gotten a little out of hand. It looks  like I'll have to locate it in my mess of workout gear and run with it again. In the meantime, I'm using the hard brace around the house today.

Be Good to Yourself

Distance & Time:  10 miles, about 2 hours 

Run / Walk Interval (in minutes): 4 / 1 (generally)

Weather:  30s, light drizzle

Course / Dogs: PATH outside my house with dogs for 3 miles; last 7 miles on treadmill at LA Fitness

Nutrition / Hydration:  Cliff bar for breakfast; Sharkies energy chews and water on treadmill

Notes on the Run:

The morning started at 7 AM. I woke up early to attend an 8 AM seminar at Big Peach Running Company, my favorite running store in Atlanta. They were giving away two free entries into ING Georgia, and since I decided to run the half this year, I wanted to win. They also had group runs with official ING pacing teams, a sports nutritionist on hand, and served breakfast after the group run. Mizuno was on hand for giving their shoes a test run. The morning had great potential!

When I got there at 8:05, the pacing teams were already filing out the door. They were still giving away raffle tickets, so I eagerly got in line, but was one of the last to get a ticket. My number was 532 (remember that, it will come back in play in a moment). First they gave away goodies like clothing, and the first winning number was 533. They gave away a few more. Finally they got to the free race entries. The first two numbers they picked were not claimed; turns out they had already left with the pacing teams. Wouldn’t you know it, but the next number was 531. If that wasn’t bad enough, the next free race entry went to…yes you guessed it, 530. Recap for those not paying attention, if I had been 1 or 2 persons earlier, or 1 person later, I would have won something. But I won nothing. But all was not lost. I could still go on a group run and try out some new shoes, I assumed. I went out and the ING booth was set up registering people for $10 off the price. So I decided to sign up, and I got a 2009 race shirt for free and only paid $70 for the half marathon. By the time I got my race registration, tried to get shoes to test (they start at 6 and I’m a 5 or 5.5!), everyone had already left and it started to rain. The wind and cold were so disheartening that I decided to go to the gym and left, despite the fact that this area (Brookhaven) is one of my favorite neighborhoods to run in.

As I drove, I realized I had all my warm weather gear and would not want to run indoors with my warm weather pants, underarmour shirt, etc. So I decided to go home, and, because it stopped raining for the most part, and because Bella and Sandman were so eager to go running, I decided to warm up by taking them out for three miles or more depending on how I was feeling. It ended up only being 2.82 miles because the cold and rain just got to me. I simply did not want to go on with them.

I finished the run at the gym with my iPod. “Be Good to yourself”… “when nobody else will” by Journey was playing. I got a burst since that is what I have been practicing, especially this morning, by buying my own race registration when they gave it to everyone except me, and running when and where I felt like it. I continued it by resetting the treadmill after 3 miles in case anyone came by and saw that I was on past the 20 minute time limit. I had my spot at the end of the row with no TV in front of me, and that is how I wanted it.

I can’t wait for it to warm up…just a little, that is. But as I’ve been told, be careful what you wish for!

Going both ways

Distance:  9 miles

Run / Walk Interval (in minutes): 4 / 1

Weather:  41 degrees, very light drizzle

Course / Dogs: PATH outside my house; WITH dogs for 5 miles; last 4 miles on treadmill at LA Fitness

Nutrition / Hydration:  Apple and 2 fruit & nut muffins for breakfast; Gu and water after 5 miles, water on treadmill

Notes on the Run:

I stepped out the door and knew it was not going to be a great run. It was nothing I could put my finger on; perhaps it was fatigue or the return of cloudy, cold weather. Regardless, I found myself wondering what the hell was wrong with me for having thought it was a good idea to run a marathon.

Once again, I underestimated the cold weather and had to turn around after 1 block, this time to get a windbreaker and more kleenex. After setting off my security alarm when I came back in the house (had mistakenly set it to the maximum setting), we were off for the second time.

The run went relatively smoothly, and Sandman started to get tired around 4 miles, so we headed back home at about 5 miles. Though once home and after some Gu and water, Sandman noticed his gear was off and Bella’s and mine were still on. He acted ready to go back out so I decided to re-load him up, but take out the ankle weights in their backpacks and see how far he could comfortably go.

At this point, I’d been indoors enough to feel that I was wet with sweat yet still cold. I had no sooner turned on the alarm to go out again when the garage door came up, Tarrus had returned. He thought I was just on my way out and mentioned wanting to go to the gym, and a light bulb turned on—I was finishing my run there. Stepping out in my cold clothes after having warmed up proved a huge de-motivator for me! So I changed my sports bra and shirt, and we were off to the gym. The last 4 miles was great indoors, not to mention the fact that I had about a half hour break.

Sandman and Bella...on a "rest" day

These are my dogs without their running gear on. Mom called them her grandpets, though she never got to meet Sandman (red-nosed pit bull) in person. Notice the tortured look in Bella's eye from Tarrus making her wear his shirt for his entertainment. Not sure if this qualifies as "cruelty-free" or not...may have to consult the ASPCA on this one!

Running in the Rain

Distance & Time: 8 miles, 1 hr, 55 min.

Run / Walk Interval (in minutes): 4 / 1

Weather: 40 degrees; slight drizzle to moderate sprinkle

Course / Dogs: PATH outside my house; WITH dogs

Nutrition / Hydration: Apple and Sharkies energy chews before run, along with water; no hydration during run. A whole fruit smoothie with whey protein for a recovery drink afterward.

Notes on the Run:

I got up excited for my first above-freezing run outside in 2 weeks. The dogs were more than excited as they have not been running in 2 weeks either (they don’t go without me, the authorities or the neighbors wouldn’t appreciate it too much). I went out to test the air and it felt so warm compared to the 20’s and lower that we’ve been having; the sky was gray but it was dry. I ate an apple and packed a Cliff bar in the doggie pack; we’d been walking to warm-up for about 5 minutes before I realized I would have to go back to the house and get more sustenance and my buff to keep my neck warm. I quickly downed some Sharkies energy chews and a glass of water, got my buff on and headed back out the door.

When we walked back out, I noticed a few rain drops. But, hey, I ran a 5K on Halloween after being poured down on, so this was nothing, I thought. Besides, there was only a 20% chance of rain before noon, so I thought we’d be fine. And we were, but by the end of the day we were pretty wet. The thing about running in the rain is that the worst thing that happens to you is that you get wet.

The run other than this was pretty uneventful. I did bring Sandman (my pit bull) back about half-way into the run since he was lagging behind us a bit. I brought him back home, and Bella (my border collie mix) and I went back out to finish the run, feeling a bit colder after being back in the house.

Wanting to stay near the house for the final 3.5 miles in case it really started pouring down, I ran down streets I had never run, since I usually run down the PATH, which is a cement bike and running path from Atlanta all the way to Stone Mountain. My Garmin GPS came in handy here since I wasn’t sure of the distances, and I was able to finish the 8 miles within 75 feet of my house. I was very grateful for this, as I was wet, Bella was smelling like a wet dog (well, she WAS a wet dog, but I digress), and my heart rate was elevated in the last half mile and I wasn't feeling like going any further.

All in all, it was a good run, and I was happy to be home, dry off, eat something and take a long hot shower. Now to enjoy the MSU beat-down of Illinois, and the Colts beat-down of the Ravens!

7 Miler: I had to do it (inside)!

Date: Jan. 6, 2010

So no fancy table for this one...I took the easy way out, folks. I did my 7 miler ON THE TREADMILL at L.A. Fitness. It was an easy choice, at 22 degrees outside and -1 windchill (Fahrenheit, ahem). Because it was so busy at the gym, I actually did 2.5 miles, then got off and let others have a chance, to avoid dirty looks, guilt, and so I wouldn't get kicked off by gym staff.

After about 10 minutes of talking to Tarrus (not WITH him, he was rocking the new ipod I got him for Christmas), I got back on to finish the rest of my miles. I was feeling great...until my ipod went dead. This actually turned out to be a blessing because it was stuck on Kirk Whalum, and jazz may be great, but not when you're trying to kick ass on the treadmill! See, what had happened was...I left my ipod in my car in the freezing temps, and since it is delicate and not used to the bitter cold (much like me), it was not working properly and died.

So I had the opportunity for the last 4.5 miles to practice "positive imagery" skills and mental thoughts. I imagined my heart beating strong, and my muscles tissue being pumped up with every stride. I was feeling great!...Until I remembered that this measly 7 miles isn't even one-third of the distance I will need to go to finish this race! But...one step at a time, I told myself, and finished the distance still feeling really good.

Tarrus and I proceeded to go to Panera Bread to stuff our faces. I had the tomato and mozzarella panini and tomato soup, and Jones soda root beer flavor (full cane sugar, not Splenda, I just burned over 500 calories!) Then he went and got a side of the new Vermont White Cheddar macaroni and cheese since I was craving it, and I was in heaven!! I overate, but it was worth it!
(Note to self: will not continue to lose weight if you increase calories immediately after burning them.)

P.S. My ipod resurrected itself after syncing with iTunes...what a relief. I love Apple products!

6 miler on Saturday

Distance: 6 miles

Run / Walk Interval (in minutes): 4 / 1

Weather: 30 degrees (generous) with wind chill of 22; winds at 16 mph, gusting to 25 mph

Course / Dogs: PATH outside my house; WITH dogs

Nutrition / Hydration: Corn bread with syrup for breakfast. Gu gel and water prior to the run; no hydration on the run. Chocolate soymilk for recovery drink.

Notes on the Run:

As you can tell from the weather description, this was a LOVELY run; hey, at least the sun was shining. Despite my 3 layers, after an initial walking warm-up, I had to go back home to get my face cover-up since the wind was whirling and I just wanted to go curl up on the couch. I’m so proud of Sandman for going all 6 miles, but even more proud of myself for not going to gym and doing the treadmill like I was tempted to do.

This time, I had my cold weather pants, wool running socks, and ear cover, hat and hood on, so I was prepared. Unlike my cold weather run a few weeks ago where I proved once and for all that I AM allergic to the cold, my legs were only slightly irritated this time, and NOT broken out in hives! YEAH, progress! I’m so glad that my long runs will come when the weather is better (I’m say now, before it gets hot and I’m cursing the humidity!).

Besides the weather, because of the holidays and finding excuses NOT to go to the gym much this week, my legs were screaming at me. I believe I may have sustained my first actual IT band injury. I felt a dull ache in my upper left thigh (near my hip) around mile 3, and it continued throughout the run. I stretched around mile 5, and it helped slightly. I am going to have to stretch better from now on, especially when I take breaks from working out like I did for Christmas and this week.

The treadmill stress test on Wednesday probably contributed to this situation, given that I was running on 10% incline and fast speed after no warm-up. My heart, cholesterol and everything is great, by the way; it was all precautionary testing because my personal trainer tried to kill me on the stairs one day (just kidding, I may have exercise-induced asthma, so I’m trying to warm up properly and keep my heart rate below 195 so I can breathe at all times).

Welcome to my Journey

Happy New Year! There is no time like the present, so I'm finally doing what I said I was going to do and create my marathon blog.

This site will track my progress in training for my first marathon, the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon on June 6, 2010, a mere six months away!


A bit about me: I've lived in Atlanta, Ga for about six years and originally hail from Michigan. I've completed five half marathons since 2006.

Why am I crazy enough to think that I can train for and complete a marathon without killing myself? Very good question....well, 2009 was a challenging year beyond just turning 35 and the Spartans losing the men's NCAA basketball championship (badly). My mother Nancy Kuiper was diagnosed with cancer in June and died on July 31, 2009 at the age of 69. One thing she regretted was that there things she never did because of fear. This sentiment, combined with a pretty bad movie ("Run, fat boy run!") was the inspiration for this journey that I now have to do since I've told way too many people about it to back out now! In addition, I thought it would be a great way to raise money for one of her favorite charities, Best Friends Animal Society. More on that later and how you can donate (still figuring this blogging stuff out!)

What will I do with this blog? I will post updates on my training, not necessarily in eloquent or creative style, but updates nonetheless. You can track my progress, provide me support (PLEASE?!), and will hopefully be encouraged to tackle something fearless yourself!